Turkey Vulture – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern Vultures heads are bald so that the pieces of dead animal don’t get stuck in head feathers These apex predators are found across the United States. In fact, they can be found from southern Canada to South America. This is an easy bird to identify because it is a […]
Volcanoes National Park Hāpu’u pulu plants with their massive fronds that can grow to heights of twenty-five feet! As we hike along the north rim of the Kīlauea Iki trail in Volcanoes National Park in Hawai’i, there was an abundance of forest all around us. This was in stark contrast to the Kīlauea Iki Crater […]
Hot Springs National Park This is one of the more interestingly shaped national parks This photo is of two balanced rocks in Hot Springs National Park. I took this photo while on the Sunset Trail on the north side of the park. This is one of the more interestingly shaped national parks. It is doughnut […]
Redwood National Park Coast redwoods are known to live more than 600 years Looking up the trunk of this tree, I could tell just how massively tall it was. I was in Redwood National Park in California just starting the Tall Tree Trail. All around me were tree trunks that were wider than cars and […]
Jordan Pond – Acadia National Park This is the deepest body of water in Acadia reaching depths of 150 feet My favorite place east of the Mississippi River is Acadia National Park. This beautiful national park is located on an island along the northeast coast of Maine. It is not far from the most easterly part of […]
Rio Grande – Big Bend National Park The Rio Grande is almost 1,900 miles long This photo was taken on a canoe trip down the Rio Grande River in Texas. Ben and I were visiting Big Bend National Park. The left side of the river is Mexico and the right side of the river is the United […]
Scarlet Hedgehog cactus – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The Scarlet Hedgehog cactus can be found in arid rocky areas The scarlet hedgehog cactus or claret cup cactus is found throughout Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado, primarily in the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts. These plants are found in arid and rocky areas, and while they […]
Spanish Needles – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data The chukar is an upland game bird that belongs to the pheasant family This photo was taken while Jill and I were walking around the top of Haleakala after having watched the sunrise on her birthday. We were in Hawaii for our honeymoon, staying on Maui. We […]
Chukar – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The chukar is an upland game bird that belongs to the pheasant family This photo was taken while Jill and I were walking around the top of Haleakala after having watched the sunrise on her birthday. We were in Hawaii for our honeymoon, staying on Maui. We woke […]
Cades Cove is an expanse of cascading mountains, lush fields, and dense forests. I was awestruck upon seeing this view of McCampbell Knob from Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Jill and I had just completed our hike to Abrams Falls via the comically named Wet Bottom Trail. As we stepped out […]